MEREDA’s Morning Menu – Southern Maine Development Trends: If you Build it, Will They Come?

September 14, 2021 – 7:30 – 9:00 AM
In-Person – Masks are Required

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED!  No walk-ins will be allowed. 

Registration closes at 3:00 PM on Monday, September 13th. 

Holiday Inn By the Bay
88 Spring Street
Portland, ME

About the Event:

MASKS ARE REQUIRED: Due to the uncertainty with the Coronavirus Delta variant, and to protect the health and safety of our attendees and presenters, we request that ALL ATTENDEES wear a mask for the duration of the event, unless eating or drinking, and strongly encourage ALL ATTENDEES to be vaccinated.

A buffet breakfast will be available with the Holiday Inn By the Bay staff serving each guest. Upon arrival, please check in, proceed to the buffet while maintaining 6’ between other guests, and go directly to your table. Coffee will be located on each table.

We will continue to follow all State & Federal CDC guidelines and suggested protocols, and will respond accordingly. Updates will be posted on our website.

Buffet Breakfast: 7:30-8:00 am
Program: 8:00-9:00 am

Make plans to join us in person on September 14, 2021 at the Holiday Inn By the Bay in Portland as we discuss recent and changing development trends for commercial and multi family housing in York County with developers Tom Watson of Port Property Management and Amy Cullen of The Szanton Company.

About the Presenters:

Tom Watson founded Port Property Management with his father, Jack, in 1993. The company manages and maintains approximately 100 unique properties in Portland, South Portland and Biddeford. Through his acquisition and development company, Bush-Watson, and numerous partnerships, Tom also works tirelessly to develop, rehabilitate, and acquire properties and currently owns over 2,200 units between Wilmington, North Carolina, Providence, Rhode Island, Lowell, Massachusetts, and Portland, Maine. His portfolio also includes 47 commercial spaces as he seeks to catalyze economic development and strengthen workforce communities with 24/7 vibrancy.

Tom was recently named to the Mainebiz 2020 Next List for his contribution to the state’s economy and workforce. When asked about his dream project, Watson shared his passion for creating apartment homes—thoughtful spaces where people feel comfortable, safe and happy. His redevelopment of a former Portland public works maintenance building at 82 Hanover Street in Portland was selected by MEREDA as a 2020 Notable Project and also won a 2020 GrowSmart Maine Outstanding Project smart growth award. The project was noted for redeveloping “a brownfield site in a state of blight and disrepair,” into a “vibrant, pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use commercial center.”

Other recent and ongoing projects include the reconfiguration of 132 Marginal Way in West Bayside into 196 workforce units (The Linden), the renovation of a historic mill complex in Biddeford into a 71-unit residential community (Riverdam), a proposed 171-unit community at 52 Hanover Street, and an affordable condominium project at 104 Grant Street in Portland (The Goodwin).

Tom grew up in Acton, Massachusetts and graduated from Stanford University and later from Boston University with an MBA. He lives in Portland with his wife Judy. They have three children.

Amy Cullen is a partner and Vice President of The Szanton Company, a Portland-based mixed-income housing developer. In her 15 years of development experience, Amy has worked on the creation of 493 new units in 9 apartment buildings across Maine and New Hampshire. Among the projects Amy has managed are the Mill at Saco Falls and the Lofts at Saco Falls, two of the earliest residential redevelopments in the Biddeford-Saco Mills Historic District. In addition to her development work, Amy is the President of Saco Falls Management, an affiliate of the Szanton Company. Under Amy’s leadership since its inception in 2013, Saco Falls Management has quadrupled its gross annual revenues and now operates a growing portfolio of 11 properties. Amy also serves on the board of directors of Maine Real Estate Managers Association and Maine Affordable Housing Coalition. She previously served on South Portland Planning Board. Amy is an Army veteran of 12 years, and holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Accounting from Husson University.

Registering for this Event:

REGISTRATIONS REQUIRED!  No walk-ins will be allowed. 
Your RSVP is requested by September 7. Payment is expected at the time of registration. No refunds will be granted to anyone who registers, but fails to attend or who cancels after September 7.

Ticket Prices:

Members: $45 each | Non-Members: $55 each
Prices increase by $10 after September 7